5 Things we learned from Mr. Rogers & A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Review

• 5 Things We Learned from Mr. Rogers
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood review (2019 movie)with discussion questions
• Won’t You Be My Neighbor (2018 Documentary) review with discussion questions
• Link to our $2 PDF resource on developing kindness with kids

5 Things We Learned from Mr. Rogers…

*Keep reading for the ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood review’*

1) Everyone has intrinsic value. You don’t have to be sensational to be loved or to love others. Acknowledging the worth of others is what changes the world.

2) Mistakes and feelings are not things to be avoided, but to accept and expect them. Dealing with your feelings and your mistakes is courageous.

3) Being kind doesn’t mean avoiding hard things. You can be kind, value others, and listen while also having strong beliefs and moral astuteness.

4) Children and their experiences matter. They feel and experience deeply like adults do. So, how we protect and nurture them is significant.

5) Mainstream success is not the only way. Just because something is done successfully one way does not mean that it is the right way to do it or that it is the only way to do it. His programming and ministry found success doing almost the opposite of what was considered normal or mainstream on television at the time.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Review

A review by the Ent, Ranger, and Princess

Know Before You Go:

Movie: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood review
Rating: PG
Age Suggestion: 12+ (The content isn’t inappropriate for most ages, but the movie may be boring or uninteresting to a younger audience)
Running Time: 1 hour 49 mins
Release Date: November 22nd, 2019
Stars: 4.5 out of 5
Themes: Friendship, Forgiveness, Kindness, Compassion and Empathy
Warnings: The movie contains all of these potential triggers- death of parents, intense- angry scenes, divorce, hospitals.

Quick Summary:

*Viewers should know that this movie is more about a journalist that was impacted by Fred Rogers work, than it is about the life of Fred Rogers. It does show the depth and impact of his work from a different perspective in a very engaging way. The movie is set up like it is an episode of his show.*

Lloyd Vogel is a journalist who has become rather jaded and angry with humanity. He is put on assignment by his magazine company to write a puff piece regarding the beloved children’s TV presenter Mr. Rogers. He is very reluctant at first, but upon meeting Mr. Rogers in person, Lloyd becomes rather intrigued with him. Dealing with his own personal hurts and emotions, Lloyd begins a friendship with Mr. Rogers that is more than he could have ever imagined. This was a very well done movie that reminds us of what Mr. Rogers would want to tell us. 1) Small kind things matter. 2) Everyone has value and a need to communicate their emotions. 3) Everyone wants to feel seen and understood.

Movie Discussion Questions:

1. Who is the kindest person in your life? How have they shown kindness to you and to others?
2. Have you ever forgiven someone for something that seemed too big for forgiveness? How did that change your feelings towards that person?
3. If you were put on assignment to interview any hero, who would you want to interview?
4. What is one way you can spread the kindness that Mr. Rogers exemplified to other people in your life?

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Review:

Characters & Acting:

-Mr. Rogers is one of the hardest people to emulate. From his calm, friendly voice to his slow, deliberate movements, it is all very particular to Fred Rogers. With that said, Tom Hanks was the absolute best choice for this performance. He was able to exemplify the intensely pleasant demeanor that lit up any room Mr. Rogers entered.
-The character development through this movie was absolutely remarkable. From a career-obsessed man to a family focused father and husband. The journey that Lloyd and Mr. Rogers go on was spectacular.

Script & Story:

-Going into it, this was not the movie that I was expecting to watch. I was expecting a movie about Fred Rogers and got a movie about Lloyd Vogel. Although this change was unexpected, by the end of the movie it was a very welcome change. This style of storytelling actually gave you a better glimpse into the life of Fred Rogers than a simple biopic would have been able to do.

-The story mostly revolves around Lloyd Vogel and his relationship with his father and wife. Lloyd struggles with anger, stemming back to his mother’s death as a child and how his father dealt with it. It takes several meetings with his dad and Mr. Rogers to come to terms with this anger and learn how to deal with it in a constructive manner.  Even though it was mostly about Lloyd, you truly see who Mr. Rogers was and how he treated others. Showing him through the way he treated others created a beautiful story. 

Film Quality:

-The filming of this movie was fantastic. It cuts back and forth, when applicable, to the grainy TV definition of the 1980s to the regular definition we use today. This was a great story telling device as it let you enter the childhood world of Mr. Rogers while keeping him grounded in reality.

Favorite Moments:

-This movie is filled with great quotes and sweet, wonderful moments that floods back nostalgia and a longing for the type of kindness that Mr. Rogers demonstrated so well.

-There is a scene in which Lloyd and Mr. Rogers are sitting on a subway commuting to Fred’s house when a group of young children notice Mr. Rogers. The children look at each other and start singing the Mr. Rogers Neighborhood theme song. Before long, the entire subway car is joining in. This is a beautiful scene of unity that felt especially poignant.

-When Lloyd asks Mr. Rogers if it is burdensome having people tell him all their problems, his gentle response was “I think it’s incredibly brave, talking about how you feel.”

-Mr. Rogers sitting among the Vogel family during a difficult time and gently adding his guidance and wisdom into the situation was wonderful

-Favorite Quote: “Fame” is a four-letter word; and like “tape” or “zoom” or “face” or “pain” or “life” or “love,” what ultimately matters is what we do with it.

Final Thoughts:

Although it may not be the movie that many people were expecting, it is the exact movie we need. The kindness, empathy, and compassion that exudes from Mr. Rogers is incomparable right now- what an amazing legacy. This is a movie that not only leaves you falling in love the Fred Rogers all over again, but also inspires you to go and do likewise.

We would also highly recommend the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?. You can find that review below! You can also find the original Esquire article that the movie was based on here. Or the new article that the journalist the movie was loosely based on has written about his legacy here. Or an article about his faith here. We’re also excited about reading the book Good Neighbor, The Life and Work of Fred Rogers.

Our team also has a guide for sale on 10 Ways to Encourage Kindness with Your Kids. You can find it on Etsy here and on Teachers Pay Teachers here.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

To Know Before You Watch:

Movie: (Documentary) Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Rating: PG-13
Age Suggestion: 12+
Running Time: 1 hr. and 34 min. 
Release Date: 6/29/2018
Stars: 5 out of 5 
Themes: Resilience, Determination, Faith, Kindness, Empathy, Ministering, T.V.
Warnings: This is a documentary about Mr. Rogers and his pre-school program but it is not kid friendly. So, please be aware that they discuss the controversies and difficulties that he faced, as well as some of the backlash and rude parodies.

Quick Summary:

What was Mr. Rogers really like? What was the purpose of his work? This documentary explores the life of the Mr. Rogers we saw on television for so many years. His motivation, his kindness, his grit, and perhaps most importantly- the legacy he has left us.

Discussion Questions: 

1) At the end of a commencement speech he asked them to think about the people who had helped bring them to this point, who had invested in them- stop for a moment of grateful meditation on the people who helped you become who you are. Who did you think of?

2) I loved that they mentioned that people often say ‘Well, what would Fred do?’ but really the question is ‘What are you going to do?’

3) Do you feel like you can express your feelings and emotions well?

4) Do you think that we can talk about hard things respectfully now, like Mr. Rogers did on his pre-school program years ago?

5) Did you learn anything about children from watching this?

Won’t You Be My Neighbor Review 

Thoughts from the Elf:

-First of all, you should be aware that this is a biographic documentary. So it might seem slow in places and not as engaging as a dramatic retelling of a biography.

-As an early childhood educator, Christian, and someone who strives to be kind- Mr. Rogers is a hero to me. He didn’t want to be a hero though, he wanted to minister in a place that he believed was vitally important and that was being misused.  

-Mr. Rogers believed that everyone’s experience mattered, no matter how small. Children matter and experience and feel deeply, just like adults.

-It’s amazing to me the care that went into each episode. He was regularly talking to, and learning with, pioneering minds in early childhood education and philosophy. Every line, every piece of music, and everything a child might perceive was important to him and his show.

–An inspirational watch. A documentary that I hope to watch many more times throughout my life to help remind me of some extremely important, although seemingly simple truths. Like being kind isn’t weakness or meekness. The respect that children deserve. Early childhood matters. The importance and significance of everyone I come into contact with.

What to check out next:

– Our team has a guide for sale based on these movies called 10 Ways to Encourage Kindness with Your Kids. It has a printable kindness month challenge and suggestions on how to encourage empathy and kindness in your elementary and high school kids. It’s only $2 and you can find it on Etsy here and on Teachers Pay Teachers here.

-If you enjoyed our A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood review, you might enjoy our reviews with discussion questions for the Brene Brown Netflix Special, Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, or Tolkien.

-You also might be interested in our article about Impostor Syndrome, 5 Monday Morning Boosters, or 10 Questions to Ask the People You Live With Besides “How was your day?”.

Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood review uses affiliate links, we only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.